Kingdom Hearts: Consumed by Darkness

The day had worn Helios down, both physically and mentally. His grueling routine—suffering under Sephiroth's brutal training, enduring Maleficent's increasingly perilous lessons, and then teaching Skuld—had left him drained. Cure spells healed his body, but they did nothing to ease the fatigue or restore his dwindling stamina. As he laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling, the weight of exhaustion threatened to pull him into sleep. Yet he knew rest wasn't an option. Not yet.

Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to stand, his body wobbling under the strain. With a deep breath, he activated his Dark Form. Shadows coiled around him, melding into his being, and his energy surged, the weariness momentarily suppressed. In this form, Helios was a completely black silhouette, his glowing amber eyes piercing the darkness with an otherworldly intensity. His skin shimmered with an ethereal, glossy sheen, highlighted by faint blue streaks. The transformation granted him strength and focus, the boost he needed to keep moving.

He opened a portal, stepping into the Crystal Fissure. The familiar hum of the glowing crystals surrounded him as he emerged. The air was cool, filled with the faint, mystical hum of magic resonating from the walls. Helios barely had time to orient himself when a shot zipped past his ear, striking a crystal and causing it to shatter in a burst of glittering fragments.

"Well, well," came a mocking voice, laced with amusement. "Looks like I found the someone who's been making a mess of town."

Helios turned slowly, his glowing eyes locking onto the figure perched casually on a ledge above. It was Braig, the sharpshooter apprentice of Ansem the Wise, his dual Arrowguns resting loosely in his hands. Their metallic purple and silver finish gleamed faintly in the light of the crystals, the curled heart insignia on their design matching the emblem on his gloves.

Braig smirked, cocking his head to the side. "Naughty boy, aren't you? Care to explain what you're doing sneaking around here?"

Helios's form gave nothing away. His voice, distorted slightly by the shadows enveloping him, was calm but carried an edge of warning. "What do you want?"

Braig chuckled, his demeanor light but his eyes sharp. "Oh, nothing much. Just a name. Maybe a hint about what you're up to. You know, the usual."

Helios's gaze narrowed, his piercing amber eyes gleaming. "And if I refuse?"

Braig's smirk widened. "Then we'll have to do this the fun way."

Without warning, Braig raised his Arrowguns and fired a volley of shots. Helios reacted instantly, summoning his Keyblade in a burst of black and white light. The shots clanged off the blade, sparks flying as Helios deflected them with swift, precise movements.

Braig's smirk faltered as his eyes flicked to the Keyblade. "Where'd you get that?" he demanded, his tone suddenly serious.

Helios didn't answer. Instead, he tilted his head, his voice cold and deliberate. "Who's asking? Braig? Bragi? Or should I say… Luxu?"

The reaction was instantaneous. Braig's eyes widened in shock before narrowing dangerously. "Who the hell are you?" he growled, his tone low and threatening. He fired another round, the shots whizzing through the air with deadly precision.

Helios leapt to the side, his dark form blending seamlessly with the shadows as he evaded the attack. He retaliated with a series of Fire spells, the flaming projectiles streaking toward Braig. The sharpshooter dodged with practiced ease, his movements fluid as he returned fire, forcing Helios to block and deflect the shots once more.

The two clashed, their battle sending shockwaves through the cave. Braig's relentless barrage of gunfire filled the air with a deafening cacophony, while Helios countered with calculated strikes and bursts of magic. Fireballs and shimmering bullets collided midair, creating dazzling explosions of light and heat that illuminated the cavern.

Braig darted across the ledges, using the terrain to his advantage as he kept up his assault. "You've got some nerve," he called out, his voice echoing through the cave. "Throwing names around like you know something. Care to share with the class?"

Helios didn't respond. Instead, he dashed forward, closing the distance between them. His Keyblade flashed as he swung it in a powerful arc, forcing Braig to leap back to avoid the strike. The force of the attack sent a shockwave rippling through the cave, causing several crystals to crack and splinter.

"Touchy, huh?" Braig taunted, firing another round of shots as he backflipped onto a higher ledge. Helios deflected the bullets with swift movements, each clash of metal reverberating through the cavern.

The battle grew fiercer, the cave trembling under the strain of their attacks. Crystals shattered, their fragments raining down like shards of glass. One particularly large crystal broke free from the ceiling, crashing to the ground between them and kicking up a cloud of dust and debris.

Braig used the chaos to his advantage, vanishing into the shadows. "You're good," his voice echoed from somewhere above. "But I've been at this a lot longer than you."

Helios spun, his glowing eyes scanning the cave for any sign of movement. He barely had time to react before Braig reappeared, firing a concentrated burst of shots aimed at his legs. Helios leapt into the air, flipping gracefully as he sent a barrage of Blizzard spells toward Braig in retaliation.

The icy projectiles streaked toward Braig, but he twisted midair, avoiding them with almost insulting ease. "Nice try," he said, landing on a nearby ledge and firing another round. Helios deflected the shots, his Keyblade spinning in a blur of motion as he closed the distance between them once more.

The clash of steel and magic intensified, each strike and counterstrike shaking the cave further. Crystals began to fall more frequently, forcing both combatants to dodge and reposition constantly. The air grew thick with dust and the hum of chaotic energy.

Helios gritted his teeth, his fatigue threatening to catch up with him. He knew he couldn't keep this up for much longer—not after everything he'd endured that day. He needed an opening, a way to escape before the cave collapsed entirely.

As another massive crystal fell between them, shattering into a thousand pieces, Helios saw his chance. Using the debris as cover, he summoned a dark corridor, the swirling portal of shadows appearing behind him. Without hesitation, he stepped through, his form vanishing into the darkness just as Braig's next volley of shots struck the ground where he'd stood moments before.

When the dust settled, Braig stood alone in the cave, his Arrowguns lowered. He scanned the area, his expression a mix of frustration and intrigue. "Slippery little shadow," he muttered, holstering his weapons. A smirk tugged at his lips as he turned to leave. "Guess I'll just have to find you another time. Whoever you are. Think you escaped, as if."

Back in his room, Helios stumbled as he emerged from the dark corridor, his body trembling with exhaustion. He barely had time to catch his breath before Kurai's smooth voice, almost amused spoke. "You've been busy, haven't you?" it said, its tone dripping with mock camaraderie. "Another sparring partner already? And here I thought Sephiroth and Maleficent were enough for one boy to handle."

Helios shot Kurai a tired glare, collapsing onto his bed. "Enough joking around," he muttered. "You know I ran into Braig. He's the last person I wanted to run into here."

Kurai's form flickered, its shadowy features twisting into an expression of mock surprise. "Really you seem eager to announce to the man you know who he was. I thought you wished to learn something which was why you did that. I trust it was… educational?"

Helios groaned, closing his eyes. "He's dangerous. Too sharp for his own good. Looks like my training sessions will have to stop so we can lay low for a while."

Kurai chuckled, the sound low and serpentine. "Oh, I have no doubt. But let's not dwell on that, dear Helios. After all, you survived. And you've learned something new from all this, haven't you?"